This invention relates to an electrical appliance, for example an electric shaver, with a built-in power source, which appliance is provided having a switch with an actuating element coupled to a counting mechanism.
Such an appliance is for example known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,372. The counting mechanism of this appliance is provided with a counting element on which the number of switching actions can be read. However, the number of switching actions is not a perfect criterion for determining the moment at which the power source is to be replaced or recharged.
It is the object of the invention to provide an improved indication of such time, and the invention is characterized in that the counting mechanism is provided with a second switch for an indicator lamp. Generally, a lit indicator lamp is more conspicuous than a number on a counting element, while moreover the light emitted by the indicator lamp may serve as a measure of the condition of the power source.
A special embodiment in which the counting mechanism is provided with a rotary disc with digits is characterized in that the indicator lamp is situated at least partly in a central recess of the disc. Such an embodiment, in which the counting mechanism is provided with a base plate which rotatably supports the rotary disc, is characterized in that a slip-contact member is connected to the disc and the base plate is provided with a complementary fixed contact member.
The invention is also embodied in a counting mechanism as used in such an electrical appliance